Alzheimer's Association launches new open-access journal

Reliable biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease are essential for identifying individuals for clinical trials, testing drug and non-drug interventions, and detecting disease early so therapies that stop or slow the progression of Alzheimer's can be given at the earliest possible time in the course of the disease once they become available.

Reflecting significant changes in journal publishing and acknowledging the importance of biomarkers to advancing Alzheimer's disease research, the Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association introduce a new open access journal - creating an additional channel for Alzheimer's and dementia researchers to communicate scientific findings and knowledge. The journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring (DADM), serves as a companion to the Association's flagship journal.

"Due to an increasing number of submissions, Alzheimer's & Dementia is unable to publish all the potentially impactful reports submitted for consideration," said Alzheimer's & Dementia editor-in-chief Zaven S. Khachaturian, Ph.D. "Creating these new open access journals under the Alzheimer's & Dementia umbrella creates opportunities for valuable research to be published, especially in key, catalytic areas of the field, such as diagnosis and assessment."

Alzheimer's & Dementia: DADM will concentrate on new research that reports the discovery, development, and validation of assays, instruments, technologies, and algorithmic approaches leading to the accurate detection and tracking of individuals at risk of progressive dementing diseases. Articles will cover a range of topics focused on the early and accurate detection of people with memory complaints and/or asymptomatic individuals at elevated risk of various forms of memory disorders. All forms of biomarkers will be considered, ranging from gene expression and proteomic markers, to imaging, cognitive and functional markers of disease progression or treatment response.

Peter J. Snyder, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief research officer at Lifespan, a health system headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, will serve as Alzheimer's & Dementia: DADM's editor-in-chief.

According to Snyder, the new journal will play an important role in the scientific community. "Alzheimer's & Dementia: DADM will drive scientific advances by creating linkages between the discovery and validation of novel biomarkers. The journal will also report on the application of biomarkers to more sensitively and reliably diagnose disease, assess disease severity and monitor progression both in the clinic and within the context of clinical trials," Snyder said. "We will also publish comprehensive literature reviews that serve to expand the state of knowledge, occasional editorials, and perspectives."

"In addition, the online format is intended to challenge editors, reviewers, authors and readers to consider the methods and technologies as a pathway to inform deeper understanding of the disease and its natural history," Snyder explained.

The focus of the new journal is consistent with research categories identified by the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to better coordinate Alzheimer's disease research funding. "Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring" was one of five classifications established when the organizations created the Common Alzheimer's Disease Research Ontology (CADRO) system.

Alzheimer's & Dementia: DADM's online-only, open access format allows for faster publication. Articles are accessible without a subscription and carry a digital object identifier (DOI) making them easier for researchers to find and cite. The author, institution or research funder covers the publication costs, nonetheless, each manuscript must meet established standards for acceptance and peer-review. The process is designed to move manuscripts from acceptance to online publication in approximately two weeks.

"Launching an online-only, open access companion journal is a strategic decision by the Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association to ensure more research that has the potential to advance the field is published more quickly," said Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Association. "This effort reflects the Alzheimer's Association's ongoing commitment to developing the robust research infrastructure needed to develop effective treatments and preventions that are desperately needed for Alzheimer's and dementia."

Alzheimer's & Dementia: DADM is published by Elsevier, a provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services worldwide.

The Alzheimer's Association plans to launch a second open access journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, later this spring.

The Alzheimer's Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. It is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research. The Association's mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Its vision is a world without Alzheimer's. Visit http://www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions -- among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey -- and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 33,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries. Visit http://www.elsevier.com.

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